The murder of a Sea Point hotel manager in an alleged underworld plot is back in the spotlight following the arrest of Colin Booysen and five alleged henchmen.
The 2018 murder of Craig Mathieson, 44, who worked at the hotel owned by controversial businessman, Mark Lifman, was highlighted as Booysen and two others proceeded with their bail hearings at the Bellville Regional Court on Thursday.
Booysen, who is the younger brother of alleged Sexy Boys gang leader Jerome “Donkie” Booysen, was busted by the Hawks for the murders of Marwaan “Dinky” Desai, the alleged leader of the Nice Time Kids and his henchman, Shameem Mohammed, in June 2017, as well as the killing of Joburg gang boss Mark “Bin Laden” Groenewald.
Booysen was arrested alongside Sillico Oliphant, Moegamat Faizel Abrahams, Herbert Zoutman, Prince Khumalo and John Edward Smith. The group faces over 20 charges for various crimes including murder, racketeering and smokkeling Mandrax worth R1.8 million
At their earlier appearances, Zoutman, Khumalo and Smith were released on R10 000 bail.
During the bail hearings yesterday, Colin, who is the chairperson of the Delft, Belhar and Parow Taxi Association, told the court he was convicted of murder 19 years ago.
The father of five also told the court he suffered from abdominal pains which has seen him being held in the hospital section of Goodwood Prison during his incarceration.
Details of the murder conviction were not clarified.
Colin added that he would pay any amount of bail money proposed by the court.
Meanwhile in their affidavits, alleged henchmen, Oliphant and Abrahams, denied playing any role in the three murders and cited the death of Matheison.
The duo claimed that despite being tortured and charged for Mathieson’s murder, the charges were later withdrawn.
They also told the court that they were confident they would be acquitted of the current charges as they explaned their personal circumstances relating to the bail information.
Mathieson, the night manager of Hotel 303 in Sea Point, was shot and killed in November 2016. Nothing was stolen from him or from the hotel, raising suspicion that he was the target of a hit.
Oliphant and Abrahams later appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on murder charges.
Addressing the court yesterday, State prosecutor Denise Greyling asked the court for a postponement for the investigating team to probe the information supplied in the affidavits of the trio.
The case was postponed to 2 August.
monique.duval@inl.co.za
Daily Voice